Douro Valley tour recommendations

Also following.

A lot of people do a day trip of the Douro Valley by themselves.

You can take the scenic train. See https://www.seat61.com/places-of-interest/douro-valley-by-train.htm for full explanation and links. You will see lots of scenery from the train. Sit on the right on your way out for best views. The reverse is true, but you'll probably be so tired that you'll fall asleep on the train. IMO, I think the train ride is more enjoyable and less expensive than any bus or van tour on the highway.

Pinhao is a very popular destination. Just make sure you call or email and arrange for a Quinta tour beforehand; they often book up depending on the season. There are several quintas within walking distance or a short cab ride from the train station.

It is very easy to book a 60 minute river cruise in Pinhao. You can also grab a taxi at the train station for a cheap quick drive up to a viewpoint above Pinhao.

Pinhao is very small, easy to explore and few nice places to eat.

Thanks for the original post, and for the reply. This is helpful - we are planning a similar stay in Porto and I am intrigued with the possibilities of a trip into the Duoro Valley.

Funpig has given you some good advice about Pinhao. Not sure how busy the Douro will be in April but when I was there in October, it wasn’t that easy to find a taxi. Apparently at the time, there were only 4 taxicabs between the two major towns of Pinhao and Regua when I was there. Perhaps if it’s possible, have the Quinta you end up visiting arrange for your taxi back to either Pinhao or Regua train stations. The one hour river cruise was easy to book online. I did the cruise and then had lunch n Pinhao before getting back to the Quinta where I was staying-Quinta do Tedo.

Good point about the taxis in Pinhao. There was no Bolt or Uber service in Pinhao. I think there was only two taxi cabs waiting at the Pinhao train station.

When I telephoned a quinta about 30 minutes out of Pinhao, the quinta told me that we could catch a taxi from town but that it may be difficult to get a taxi to drive out to the quinta to bring us back later. You can visit quintas which are within walking distance of the town or find one which offers a shuttle service. The key thing is to pre-book the quinta tour before you go.

When we went up to the viewpoint above Pinhao, we hired the taxi in front of the train station but we requested that he wait and keep the meter running at the viewpoint while we took some photos. After about 10 minutes, he drove us back down. The whole time, the dispatcher on the radio was yelling at him to get back to the train station. If we had allowed him to leave, I don't think we would have been able to call a taxi to pick us up. We would have had a long walk back to town.

In October, my husband and I took an AirBnB experience tour that left from Porto for a day in Douro Valley. It was one of the highlights of our trip. We traveled with a local guide, Leon, who was born and raised in the Douro, coming from a small winemakers family. He was extremely knowledgeable about the valley, winemaking, and the rich history.

The tour is for small groups in a very comfortable minivan. My husband and I loved our travel companions, a couple from Malta and a mother, father, and daughter from Hong Kong. What I loved about this tour versus driving is that you get to see the scenery with in-depth commentary, take a relaxing boat ride (with my favorite new drink Port tonic and some light bites), and visit two family owned wineries. The wineries use the old harvest and fermentation methods. The visit to the first winery included a brief tour of the wine making facilities and lovely tasting. The second winery is not open to the public. We were served one of the best meals we had in Portugal, visited the family museum, and walked through the vineyard.

Here is the link if you are interested: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/160799?startDate=2023-10-23&adults=2 We stayed 4 nights in Porto and one day was enough for us in the Douro. You didn't ask, but I would be remiss if I did not recommend the Eating Europe Port Wine Food Tour: https://www.eatingeurope.com/porto/port-wine-food-tour/. This tour spends the entire time exploring the Vila Nova de Gaia, home of the major Port houses. The major treat here is that you get to visit the oldest Port Wine cellar in the world. I live near Napa/Sonoma and this tour was a standout for tours, as we saw some ports from the late 1700s. We also ate at small local eateries and our guide Sarah also showed us some of the best street art.

Have a great time,
Sandy